


Before You Go

by Poetinprogress1234



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-02-23 11:00:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23710432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Poetinprogress1234/pseuds/Poetinprogress1234
Summary: The seconds tick by, and Penelope can feel her grip on reality slipping away. She closes her eyes, and her body goes numb. As her cognitive abilities wane, she repeats her last conscious thought like a mantra until that, too, fades away:Find Josie Saltzman._____________________________________________________________________________At 18, a person is ripped from their reality, set on a quest to find their soulmate through five alternate universes before they can be reunited. Most people only get through one or two before giving up. Penelope Park, however, is determined to make her way back home to the love of her life, no matter what it takes.
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman, Hope Mikaelson/Lizzie Saltzman, Hope Mikaelson/Penelope Park, Jed & Penelope Park, Josie Saltzman & Lizzie Saltzman, Landon Kirby & Penelope Park, Milton "MG" Greasley & Penelope Park, Penelope Park/Josie Saltzman
Comments: 10
Kudos: 137





	1. Prologue

11:41 pm

They'd attempted to discuss it for weeks- at least, Penelope had tried to. She'd done her best to talk to Josie about the dreadful day, to prepare them both, but each one of her attempts had been met with a pained grimace and a softly spoken "Please, not tonight, Penny." In hindsight, Penelope knew now that not discussing it had done more harm than good. Because here they were, nineteen minutes until Penelope's eighteenth birthday, and Penelope was at a loss of what to say, or to do, to make the moment any easier. Could anything make losing the love of your life more bearable? Penelope was unsure. Her only comfort was knowing as soon as her journey began, Josie wouldn't have to bear the painful memory of this night without her; Neither of them would remember a thing, and of all the terrible things that this ancient ritual held, Penelope was happy that this was one of the better side effects.

Penelope had come to terms with her fate; after all, she had known that her journey was inevitable, that it was the way of things and that she had no choice but to accept what would come. She'd woken early on the eve of her birthdate, said a teary goodbye to her friends, to her parents, and the life that she had always known. She'd hidden her pictures and notebooks, erased every visible trace of herself to make the transition easier on the people she loved. Would she ever make it back home to them? That Penelope couldn't say for certain. Penelope liked to consider herself a very determined person, but what if her determination wasn't enough. Penelope swallowed hard; She didn't want to have to think about that. Penelope had come to peace with the transition- at least, that was what she told herself. The opposite, however, could be said about the one person Penelope dreaded to leave behind- the love of her life, her best friend, her soulmate; Josie Saltzman.

11:49 pm

Josie is silent across the room, her arms swaddled tightly around her body; A subconscious need to shield herself from what's to come, Penelope realized. Distracted in her thoughts, Josie barely notices when Penelope joins her on the bed. Penelope reaches out, brushes her fingertips against Josie's skin, and the brunette flinches. Penelope sighs, watching the clock tick down on her wrist. "Come here, baby.", Penelope urges calmly, but Josie stays planted on the bed, frozen by her anxiety and the desire to block out their reality. Penelope doesn't blame her; the thoughts of disbelief flash through her mind as well. If they ignore it, maybe the time will freeze, and they could live in this moment forever. Maybe if they plead hard enough, Penelope can be seventeen for a while longer. Still, the ticking clock brings Penelope back to the Present; they're wasting time. To lament on the future is useless. All they have is Now.

"I don't like this either, Jo, but we don't have much time.", Penelope pleads, keeping an eye on the waning minutes. "Please; This isn't how I want to spend my last few moments with you." At that, Josie's protective shell shatters; Her head falls in her hands, afflicted whimpers echoing in the room. Penelope is almost certain that her parents can hear it downstairs, where they, too, are grieving. Penelope takes Josie into her arms, pushes back the covers so they can crawl underneath them. If they only have these few moments, this is the only place Penelope would want to spend them- Josie wrapped up in her arms, safe and warm in her bed.

11:55pm.

Penelope lays still, holding Josie as close to her as their bodies will allow. In her arms, Josie is wordlessly trembling, her eyes fixated on the clock beside Penelope's bed. In five minutes, Penelope will turn 18 years old; In five minutes, Penelope will wake up in a world that she does not know, and her first journey will begin. "Please don't forget me.", Josie pleads, her voice shaky as she clings onto Penelope's shirt as if her life depends on it. "Please, Penelope." Penelope tilts Josie's face towards her, studying the teary, coffee-colored eyes that she had come to adore so much in the last seven years she had known Josie. She tries to commit the shade to memory, etch the image of Josie's soft expression in her consciousness. She knows, however, that the effort is in vain; No one remembers anything once the journey begins.

11:57 pm.

Still, Penelope attempts to make Josie feel better, cupping her face gently in her hands. "Listen to me, Josie. I'm not going to give up until I find you.", Penelope declares, her mouth drying out as the words of confidence leave her lips. "I'm going to find you. We will be together again. I belong with you; You are my soulmate. I promise, Josette Saltzman, I will find you again." Josie pulls her impossibly closer, her tears making the kiss they share salty and bittersweet- it's fitting for the situation they are in. Penelope clutches onto her tighter as if doing so will change the fact that in three minutes, the world as she knows it will disappear. Josie sinks her face into Penelope's neck, broken cries falling from her lips. The sound makes Penelope's heartbreak, her tears threatening to fall as well. She doesn't let them overpower her; She needs to be strong, for Josie's sake.

11:59 pm

"Close your eyes, baby.", Penelope whispers, running her hands through Josie's dark brown hair gently. "I know it hurts, but it'll be over soon." Josie's nails dig into Penelope's skin- a hopeless, desperate attempt to keep Penelope grounded to the Now. "I love you, Josie Saltzman", Penelope declares, caressing Josie's hair lovingly. "I love you so much." Josie doesn't say it back; Penelope doesn't need her to. She feels it in the way Josie's heart begins to race against her chest. The seconds tick by, and Penelope can feel her grip on reality slipping away. She closes her eyes, and her body goes numb. As her cognitive abilities wane, she repeats her last conscious thought like a mantra until that, too, fades away:

Find Josie Saltzman.


	2. Universe 1.1 - The Barista and The Author

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Penelope slides the cup over toward the brunette, her stomach fluttering nervously when brown eyes glace up from the notepad in front of her, eyebrows knit in confusion. "I didn't order a coffee", she admits, her voice smooth and much quieter than Penelope expected. She attempts what she hopes is a warm smile. "It's on the house; You looked like if you stared at that paper any longer, you might pop a blood vessel. That's bad for business, you know." The woman laughs, and the sound warms Penelope's body like a coffee never could. "Thanks...uh...", the woman trails off, and Penelope realizes that she'd never even introduced herself. "I'm Penelope.", she states, wiping her hands nervously on her apron. "Penelope Park." The brunette smiles, offering a hand that Penelope shakes politely. 
> 
> "It's nice to meet you, Penelope. I'm Josette."

If you asked Penelope if she liked her job, she would very quickly say a very firm no. However, that wasn't exactly true. Penelope hated her coworkers (with Hope being a gratuitous exception), and her boss was a nightmare even on his best days. She despised the outdated furniture and the annoyingly loud tv that no one, even the owner, knew how to turn down. The finicky machinery that her boss was too cheap to fix left her soaked in coffee after each malfunction, the sunlight shone directly through the windows and onto her register when there was even a hint of the sun outside, and the new busboy simply didn't know how to take "no" for an answer. Most days, it was miserable work being a barista. If Penelope had any other opportunity to change her line of work, she would do it in a heartbeat, without thinking twice. So, no, Penelope didn't like her job; In fact, she'd almost go as far as to say she loathed it.

Yet, for all the faults that Penelope found in her workplace, there was still undeniable pros of working there. Penelope favored her customers, especially the regulars who were courteous and kind and bothered enough to learn Penelope's name. She liked that the smell of coffee was always prompt and calming and familiar, and she liked working with Hope, who was funny and met Penelope's natural snark with amusement and bite. Most importantly, working at the Daily Grind paid her bills, and allowed Penelope to escape the overbearing grasp of her mother and father. Penelope was thankful for this, because while she loved her family there was only so much of their prying into her life- and especially her non-existent love life- that Penelope could handle at once. So, while working at a coffee shop wasn't exactly paradise, Penelope was appreciative of the job she had; Even if she'd never acknowledge that fact out loud.

"Hey, don't look now, but that girl is back again.", Hope muttered, taking the pot of coffee from Penelope's hands and filling the ceramic espresso container to the brim. "Maybe now is your chance to make a move." Penelope rolled her eyes at her friend, sighing audibly. She didn't have to turn and look at who Hope was referring to; There was only one person that Hope would care enough to warn Penelope about. It was the same girl who had intrigued Penelope ever since the first time she had wandered into the coffee shop several months ago. "Nice try, but no.", Penelope stated, placing the pot back in its holder and turning to face Hope. "She very clearly doesn't want to be bothered, Hope. It's best to just leave it alone." Hope scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. "If she doesn't want to be noticed by you, why does she keep looking over here? She's clearly into you." Penelope overlooked her, annoying her friend and co-worker further. "Look, what's the harm in trying, Pen? C'mon, you have to put yourself out there! You haven't even flirted with someone since MG, and that was months ago."

Penelope flinched, wincing as Hope so casually mentioned her ex's name. The subject was still too sensitive in Penelope's mind. Even months after they had split up, MG still held reign over a piece of Penelope's heart. It was impossible for her not to hold a sense of sentimentality for the boy; She had been so confident that he had been the one, that she had found her soulmate at long last. And still, when they'd said I love you for the first time and nothing had shifted, Penelope's heart had been crushed. Inevitably, the relationship had died soon after. MG had moved on quickly, while Penelope was still trying to heal a bruised ego and her damaged pride. Seeing the pain in Penelope's eyes, Hope relented. "I'm sorry, Pen, I should have realized.", she apologized, carefully placing a hand on Penelope's shoulder. Penelope snapped from her thoughts, shaking the crude memories from her consciousness. "No, you're right; I have to accept that we weren't meant to be eventually, right?", Penelope voiced, swallowing hard. "It wouldn't hurt to say something, right?" Hope frowned, looking over Penelope's shoulder. "I'm glad you finally realized that Pen, but unfortunately I think you were just a little too late." Penelope turned to face the direction Hope was looking in, noticing that the previously filled seat at the counter was empty. The hope in Penelope's chest fizzled out, and she shrugged with a pained smile. 

"Just as well, right?", Penelope quipped, returning to the soiled cups she was supposed to be washing. "If she really was interested in me, she would have already said something." "Or maybe she's just waiting for you to do the same.", Hope suggested, attempting to reignite Penelope's determination. "It's okay, Pen. You always have next time." With a sympathetic pat on Penelope's shoulder, Hope scurried away before their shift manager could yell at her. While Penelope's hands went through the motions of her tasks, her mind wandered. Was she really ready to put her heart out on the line again? Could she handle another disappointment, another failed attempt at the happiness she secretly craved? Through her doubts, the little smolders of optimism still remained. Next time, Penelope promised herself. Next time, she would bite the bullet and say something to the girl clouding her thoughts and her mind. After the way MG had left Penelope so broken and confused, she had nothing left to lose.

But maybe, Penelope thought to herself, maybe this time she'd gain something better.  
____________________________________________________________

When the girl returns, Penelope is prepared.

Nervous as hell, but prepared; She swallows down nerves, pours the hot coffee into a fresh cup with shaky hands. At the counter, the girl is frowning, rubbing her eraser across the page in front of her with frustration. The concentration on her face makes the brown of her eyes spark with determination, her lip bit firmly between her teeth as she examines her work. With a heavy sigh, the girl rips the paper from the book, crumpling it up and setting it to the side. Without pause, she puts her pen back to paper, starting the process all over again. Watching her makes Penelope's head hurt, but she admires the drive that the girl possesses. Her determination inspires Penelope's own and, while still fighting anxiety, she makes her way over to the counter where she sits.

Penelope slides the cup over toward the brunette, her stomach fluttering nervously when brown eyes glace up from the notepad in front of her, eyebrows knit in confusion. "I didn't order a coffee", she admits, her voice smooth and much quieter than Penelope expected. She attempts what she hopes is a warm smile. "It's on the house; You looked like if you stared at that paper any longer, you might pop a blood vessel. That's bad for business, you know." The woman laughs, and the sound warms Penelope's body like a coffee never could. "Thanks...uh...", the woman trails off, and Penelope realizes that she'd never even introduced herself. "I'm Penelope.", she states, wiping her hands nervously on her apron. "Penelope Park." The brunette smiles, offering a hand that Penelope shakes politely.

"It's nice to meet you, Penelope. I'm Josette."


	3. #BlackoutTuesday

On May 25, 2020 the nation watched in horror for nearly nine minutes as Officer Derek Chauvin ruthlessly killed George Floyd, a 41 year old black male. Chauvin kneeled on Floyd's neck with steady, heavy pressure as Floyd begged for his life. After nearly ten minutes, he died of asphyxiation. Some of his last words: "I can't breathe." This sparked a national outrage, leading to protests and riots all across the nation to combat a problem that has been plaguing America for way too long: police brutality. These past few days have been difficult. I have heard recounts from my friends after they were teargassed, beaten, and mocked by the police while peacefully protesting in the streets. They were shot at with rubber bullets. They were threatened to be arrested. Still, they fought on, and they are still fighting, because they know that this is a small portion of the violence that black individuals experience daily. If this disturbs you, it's because it should. What started as a movement to give Floyd and his family justice has evolved into the beginning of a new civil rights movement. This is not a "black" issue; It is a human rights issue. It is a war against racism and oppression in today's America. It is an outcry for justice and change. I will be damned if I keep my silence while my fellow brothers and sisters continued to suffer. This is not up for debate, or discussion; black lives matter, and they deserve to be fought for. I urge all of you to educate yourselves and make your voices heard. Amplify the voices of the unheard, and if you can please donate to organizations that support the BLM movement and that pay legal fees for protestors that have been wrongly arrested. Every amount helps. As for me, I will not be updating for the foreseeable future as I am doing everything I can to protect and inform the people around me, and also myself. I wish you all well and urge you to stay safe during this difficult time. ACAB. Black Lives Matter. No Justice, No Peace. - Katt

Here are some resources that you can donate to: 

Black Lives Matter   
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019

George Floyd Memorial Fund  
https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd

The Loveland Foundation:   
https://thelovelandfoundation.org/

Campaign Zero:  
https://www.joincampaignzero.org/

The NAACP’s Legal Defense and Educational Fund:  
https://org2.salsalabs.com/o/6857/p/salsa/donation/common/public/?donate_page_KEY=15780&_ga=2.231342234.480782673.1591028794-1029022299.1591028794

Community Bail Funds:  
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/bail_funds_george_floyd

The ACLU:  
https://action.aclu.org/give/fund-every-fight-ahead

Color of Change:   
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/blackpatients?ak_proof=1&akid=42394.5191726.pitPAa&amount=5&rd=1&recurring=1&refcode=stage1_nondonors_link1&refcode2=42394_5191726_pitPAa&t=3


	4. I think I owe you all an apology...

Hi, everyone. It's been a while since we talked. I'm very sorry about that. Once the pandemic hit, a lot of things went on the backburner- my writing included. I've been so majorly stressed out with family, Corona, and then the holidays that I haven't had the mental clarity to write anything. 2020 was rough. I moved out of my mother's house, started a whole new life in a new city, and learned a lot of lessons and met a lot of people along the way. Now i'm ready to say goodbye to 2020 and get back to doing what I love- creating stories to entertain all of you. Please bear with me as I sort myself out and get everything together for the near future. Updates will be slow and infrequent- as they've always been- but I promise to put the very best of myself into every chapter, every paragraph, and every line. I'm glad to be back, and I hope you join me in this new and exciting chapter of my life. 

Love Always, Iries.


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